TikTok starts from the For You feed
When you open TikTok, the first thing shown is the For You feed. More of what flows by is videos from people you don't know yet than from accounts you follow. That's why, on TikTok, a video from an account with few followers can reach many people depending on its content.
For a business account, this means videos can reach people before you've gathered followers. On the other hand, each video is judged by viewers' reactions, so a video that did well yesterday doesn't guarantee that today's will. You need to make each video one at a time, knowing how the system works.
Three signals TikTok explains
In June 2020, TikTok published "How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou" in its official newsroom. The signals used to choose videos are explained as falling into these three groups.
| Signal | Examples | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Viewer actions | Likes, shares, follows, comments, whether they watched to the end | Heavy |
| Video information | Caption, sound, hashtags | Medium |
| Device and account settings | Language, country, device type | Light |
TikTok writes that signals showing stronger interest count for more. The example it gives is the contrast that watching a long video all the way through is a strong signal, while being in the same country as the creator is a weak one.
Follower count is not a direct factor
In the same explanation, TikTok says that neither follower count nor whether you've had hit videos before is a direct factor. Videos from accounts with many followers get many views because those followers watch them, not because the system scores follower count itself.
A mix, so the same thing doesn't repeat
In the For You feed, videos with the same sound or from the same creator are arranged so they don't appear back to back. Duplicate videos, videos already watched and videos judged to be spam are not selected. TikTok also explains that it deliberately mixes in videos slightly outside a viewer's tastes.
Viewers can tap "Not interested" or hide particular creators or sounds. These actions are also reflected in later recommendations.
What this means for a business account's videos
Say what the video is in the first 1 to 2 seconds
The clearest viewer action is whether they keep watching without swiping to the next one. If it isn't clear in the opening what the video is, they swipe away right away. Openings that work include showing the finished product first, stating the conclusion first, or starting with a close-up of hands.
Make it a length people watch to the end
Getting people to watch a long video to the end is a strong signal, but if they leave partway it works against you. Decide by content: short if you have one point, as long as needed if you're showing steps. Use whether people watch to the end, not the length, as your standard.
One topic per video
Captions and sounds are signals too. Packing several topics into one video makes it harder to tell who it should be shown to. The basic approach is one theme per video, for example hands at work today and an answer to a common question tomorrow. The flow of making them is covered in how to start short-form video.
Reshoot rather than reuse
Duplicate videos aren't selected for recommendations. Even when posting a video made for another network, it's safer to change the opening and caption for TikTok.
Video size and length
According to TikTok's developer documentation, videos you can send through the API are as follows (as of October 2026).
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | MP4 (recommended), WebM, MOV |
| Video codec | H.264 (recommended), H.265, VP8, VP9 |
| Frame rate | 23 to 60 fps |
| Width and height | 360 to 4096 px each |
| Length | Up to 3 minutes for many creators (some creators can post up to 5 or 10 minutes) |
| File size | Up to 4 GB |
The limit for the description (caption), per the API documentation, is 2,200 in UTF-16 units. Ordinary Japanese characters count as 1 unit, but many emoji count as 2, so using lots of emoji reaches the limit a little sooner.
Vertical 9:16 fills the screen. Sizes for each network are listed in image and video sizes for each network.
What to decide before you post
TikTok's developer documentation, "Direct Post API," lists items the person posting must decide when posting a video from an outside service. All of them carry the same meaning when posting in the TikTok app itself.
| Item | Options | How to think about it |
|---|---|---|
| Who can view | Everyone, mutual friends, followers, only me | Announcements to everyone, test shots to only me |
| Comments | Allow or turn off | Allow them on videos where you want reactions |
| Duet and Stitch | Allow or turn off | Turn off if you don't want your video built into other people's |
| Promotion disclosure | Your own promotion, or a paid partnership with another company | Always choose the paid partnership for videos you were paid to make |
A video made for payment from another company must always be disclosed as a paid partnership. In Japan, stealth marketing is regulated under the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations, and a post that hides that it's promotion is the advertiser's responsibility. Under TikTok's rules, a paid-partnership video can't be posted with the "only me" visibility.
Also, depending on the other person's settings, TikTok may turn off comments or Duets even if you allow them. For example, you can't Duet a video from a private account or from a creator who has set Duet to "no one."
Posting to TikTok with SNS TOWN
SNS TOWN posts videos through TikTok's official API (Content Posting API). To match TikTok's rules, the compose screen is built as follows.
| Item | How SNS TOWN handles it |
|---|---|
| What you can attach | One video only (no images or GIFs) |
| Description | Up to 2,200 characters |
| Who can view | No default; the person chooses every time from everyone, friends, followers or only me |
| Allowed interactions | You can turn off comments, Duets and Stitches |
| Promotion disclosure | Choose your own promotion or a paid partnership with another company, and TikTok adds the label |
| Deleting after posting | Not possible through the API, so do it in the TikTok app |
Not setting a default for who can view is a TikTok rule. Because the person chooses every time they post, you avoid accidentally publishing to everyone. The promotion disclosure is also an essential field so that a post isn't taken for stealth marketing.
If you put videos in the Library, you can reuse them for both TikTok and YouTube Shorts. But because the rules require the person to choose the title and visibility for each video, TikTok isn't included in the Post cycle (AI drafts) or in posting to two networks at once.
As of October 2026, until TikTok's review is complete, general users can't yet connect TikTok (it shows "In development" on the social accounts screen). SNS TOWN Analytics doesn't read reaction counts yet either, so check the numbers in the TikTok app.
Frequently asked questions
Can my videos be seen with zero followers?
TikTok explains that follower count is not a direct factor. Videos are first shown to a small number of people and spread depending on how those viewers react, so even with few followers there is room to reach people depending on the content. It isn't guaranteed, though, so it's important to watch reactions to each video and adjust.
Should I add lots of hashtags?
Captions, sounds and hashtags are used as video information, but they're not as heavy as viewer actions. Adding just a few that describe the video's subject makes it easier to tell who to show it to. See how to use hashtags for more.
How many seconds should a video be?
There's no fixed answer. Because being watched to the end is a strong signal, make it short if you have one point and as long as needed if you're showing steps. Decide the length while checking in the numbers whether people leave partway.
Can I also post the same video as an Instagram Reel or YouTube Short?
You can, but TikTok explains that it doesn't select duplicate videos for recommendations. Changing the opening and caption for each network makes each version suit its network. In SNS TOWN, you can pick Library videos again for each network.
Do I need a promotion disclosure for a video introducing my own products?
TikTok's compose screen has a field to choose between your own promotion and a paid partnership with another company. For a video introducing your own products, choose "your own promotion" and TikTok adds the matching label. For a video you were paid to make by another company, choose the paid partnership.
Can I delete a TikTok video I posted from SNS TOWN?
TikTok videos can't be deleted through the API, so to remove one after posting, do it in the TikTok app. Before it goes out, you can cancel the scheduled post in SNS TOWN.
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